Certain laws in the United States, and in other countries, require boaters and other waterway users to wear, or have readily accessible, safety equipment that will help prevent drowning, such as life vests, life preservers, and other Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs).
There are five categories of U.S. Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Devices. Type I is limited to Offshore Lifejackets designed for extended survival in rough open water. Type II is designated as a Near Shore Buoyant Vest meant for calm inland water where there would probably be a fast rescue. Many Type II PFDs are arranged to turn an unconscious person face up in the water to help prevent drowning. A Type III device applies to life jackets to be worn during water sports (i.e. water-skiing, jet-skiing) and are geared for use in calm water where there is a good chance for a fast rescue. A Type III device is generally not designed to turn an unconscious person face up in the water. Type IV flotation devices are throwable devices including boat cushions and ring buoys, and Type V devices are restricted to special uses, such as work vests, deck suits and hybrid vests.
PFDs typically include either an inherently buoyant material, an inflatable chamber, or a combination of an inherently buoyant material and an inflatable chamber (hybrid PFD) to provide the buoyancy for a person to stay afloat. An inherently buoyant PFD may be formed of a foam or other low density material and usually is bulky and uncomfortable to wear. Consequently, many boaters and other water enthusiasts resist wearing an inherently buoyant PFD.
Inflatable PFDs have a much smaller profile than inherently buoyant PFDs and are much less cumbersome to wear. However, many waterway users still fail to wear an inflatable PFD because they are not fashionable when worn over the user's regular clothing. It has been known to position an inflatable bladder within the interior of the garment. Such arrangements, however, do not provide the versatility of the present inventive PFD which may be worn alone or, instead, integrated with a separate garment.